


Death Spiral

by crimsonseekers



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Soundwave isn't paid enough for this, Soundwave just wants a nap, Starscream being Starscream, Transformers as Humans, figure skating AU, pair skating au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22259203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonseekers/pseuds/crimsonseekers
Summary: Starscream, Megatron could tell from the minute he had spent in his presence, was going to be adisasterto work with.
Relationships: Megatron/Starscream
Comments: 27
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

“Starscream: will be here soon,” Soundwave promised. Megatron huffed and checked the clock.

“You’ve been saying that for the past fifteen minutes.”

The coach wilted slightly, sighing before taking a long, drawn-out sip of the coffee in his thermos. “Starscream: dislikes being told what to do.”

“Wasting your time and mine, more like it,” Megatron grumbled.

At that very moment, the doors to the locker room burst open, and a thin, sleek male _strutted_ into the rink. Megatron didn’t think it was possible to strut in skates, but you learn something new every day. His nose crinkled distastefully as he noticed the stylishly-messy half tail his hair had been pulled into and not-so-subtle eyeliner.

“Starscream: late,” Soundwave reproached blandly. Starscream hmph’d.

“My _sincerest_ apologies, Soundwave,” he drawled. “Unfortunately, some of us actually have things to do outside of the rink. Like _registering for classes.”_

“Class registration opened days ago, you could’ve done it sooner,” Megatron said sharply. “If you’re actually serious about skating, you could at least _pretend_ to have a good excuse for being late your first practice with your new partner.”

Starscream paused at that, tilting his head almost like a pigeon, sharply outlined eyes raking up and down Megatron’s body scrutinizingly. He ‘tch’d disparagingly and turned to Soundwave, looking distinctly unimpressed.

“You want me to work with this brute of a hockey player?”

“Megatron: accomplished skater in single and pair skating. Starscream: will work with him,” Soundwave said.

“I _could,”_ Starscream began agitatedly, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one foot, “alternatively, do singles instead, and _Mighty Megatron_ over there can find some swooning girl to skate with instead.”

“Skating club: no female members trained for pairs. Starscream: only one qualified.”

“Well, _obviously_ you’d come crawling to me.”

Megatron found his lip curling in disgust as he noticed how the praise seemed to make Starscream _preen,_ like some sort of peacock or show bird. Starscream, Megatron could already tell from the minute he had spent in his presence, was going to be a _disaster_ to work with.

“How on _earth_ do you plan to make a double male pair skate work?” Megatron asked Soundwave, not quite admitting to himself that he was digging for a reason to _not_ work with Starscream.

“Starscream: trained in the traditionally female part of pair skating.”

“My sister used to skate with me. However, Slipstream plays hockey wither her girlfriend now,” Starscream added, examining his nails disinterestedly.

Megatron looked at him for a long moment. “I suppose I shouldn’t have expected someone like _you_ to be able to lift anybody.”

Starscream’s sharp eyes flicked up to him angrily. “And _what_ is that supposed to mean?” he hissed dangerously, taking a few threatening steps in Megatron’s direction.

“Desist,” Soundwave intoned harshly, stepping between them. “Practice: begins now. First: learning to skate together.” Megatron and Starscream scoffed simultaneously, stepping away from each other. “Megatron; Starscream: on the ice immediately.”

* * *

“I swear to God if you trip me _one more time_ -” Megatron huffed angrily, pulling his feet closer to examine his blades to ensure that his collision with Starscream hadn’t damaged anything

“It’s not my fault you can’t see where your fat feet are going!” Starscream snapped defensively.

“It’s also not _my fault_ that you can’t stop being petty for five seconds!” 

“Who are you calling _petty?!”_

“You!” Megatron exclaimed, pushing himself up from the ice, not even bothering to lend the felled Starscream a hand. “You _intentionally_ did a loop when Soundwave clearly stated that it was supposed to be a salchow just to trip me up, didn’t you?!”

“Why would I risk damaging my blades just to trip _you,_ you paranoid egomaniac!”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from _you._ A pleasure to hear that you care about the safety of your _skating partner._ You’re the egomaniac, and you’re so self-centered that you’re trying to trip me up just so you can go on and live your delusional dream of competing in singles, you half-rate skater!”

“I could just as easily say the same accusation about _you_ because it was supposed to be lutz, half-loop, loop!”

“Why would you ever put a half loop between a lutz and a loop when you could use that energy for higher rotations? A half loop is used to connect salchows, Starscream!”

“I _know that,_ Captain Obvious!” Starscream snarled irately as he got to his feet. “I just thought Soundwave was trying to be _‘artistic’_ or whatever!”

“Soundwave wasn’t trying to be artistic, he was trying to be practical because it was a lutz, half-loop, _salchow._ Why would you try to do a loop from an inside edge?” Megatron gestured exasperatedly, even as Starscream skated closer to whine more directly in his ear.

“Why do some people do two triple loops in a row? _Certainly_ not for practicality,” Starscream sniped back.

“Why are _you_ incapable of listening to simple directions that _won’t_ end up with you kicking me in the shin when we land?!”

“Why are you blaming _me_ for your pathetic shortcomings?!”

**BANG**

“DESIST.”

Megatron and Starscream’s attention snapped over to where Soundwave had slammed his fist against the barrier to garner their attention. They stared at each other for a moment before Starscream broke the silence.

“Soundwave, tell this buffoon that he’s supposed to be doing a loop and _not_ getting in my way!”

Soundwave looked at him for a long, hard second before responding. “Starscream: should be executing salchow at combination end.”

Megatron’s smug smirk of victory was painfully cut short as Starscream lived up to his name in his shriek of frustration.

* * *

“Megatron, if you do not move your hand somewhere more _appropriate_ when you hold me, it’s getting cut off,” Starscream hissed venomously when they exited their camel spin.

“Apologies,” Megatron drawled sarcastically as they transitioned into their step sequence. “Perhaps if you actually _agreed_ to additional practices and actually _showed up on time_ we would come together properly so this _wouldn’t keep happening.”_

“And spend more time than I already do in your oppressive presence?” Starscream sniffed.

“Well, if you actually want to do _well_ in competition, it might help to -”

“Megatron; Starscream: _focus,”_ Soundwave said from the sidelines.

“You know what?” Starscream asked, suddenly stopping. “No. I’m not doing this.”

Megatron slid to his own stop a few feet away and turned to Starscream skeptically. “And what’s that supposed to mean? Soundwave’s already told you you’re not getting transferred to singles.”

Starscream seemed to puff up angrily at the words. “I meant _no._ I’m not working like this. You’re a rude, primitive, lecherous pervert who is clearly incapable of listening to a word I say, Soundwave is practically a drone who picks favorites, and that favorite is _you,_ so why even bother? I quit.”

“Starscream, you’re acting like a child,” Megatron said condescendingly. “Soundwave is one of the best coaches in the world, and you’re going to give up your chance to work with him just because you’re determined to be _petty_ with your feelings?”

 _“I am not being petty!”_ Starscream snapped as Megatron slid forward to loom over him threateningly. The shorter skater huffed angrily, straightening his back and staring straight into Megatron’s eyes. “You’re insufferably overbearing to work with, Soundwave is a bore, and I have significantly better things to do with my time than have you _grope_ me in the middle of spins! I’ll find another goddamn coach if I have to!”

“And how will you be trained in time for competition season then?” Megatron growled agitatedly, ignoring Soundwave’s calls to stop. “You’d have to transfer in the middle of the semester, and with _your_ questionable work ethic, there’s no way you’ll learn your choreography in time to qualify for the senior circuit.”

“My work ethic is just _fine,_ thank you very much! You’re sorely unsuited for this, and have absolutely no idea how to respect your partner skater -”

“Oh, that’s absolutely _rich_ coming from you!”

“I refuse to work with you! And if not working with you means leaving the Decepticon Skating Club, then fine, so be it! I’ll join the _Autobot_ club if I have to, just anything but working another second skating with _you.”_

“Not even the Autobots would be pathetic enough to want you, Starscream,” Megatron rumbled.

Megatron barely had time to register the _chnk_ of Starscream’s toepick digging into the ice for stability before the other skater leaned back and his foot came _up towards his face._

He felt the pressure, then the sting, then the _pain,_ before finally registering the _plip plip_ noise of his own blood dripping onto the ice.

* * *

Megatron scowled as best he could without agitating the stitches on his jaw. Starscream had luckily missed both his throat and his eyes, but that didn’t mean that Megatron was overjoyed at having spent the previous evening in the emergency room. The stated attacker was slouched angrily in the chair next to him, determinedly staring a hole through the floor.

Soundwave sighed and rubbed his temple.

“Partnership: not working,” he said after a few moments.

“Oh, is _that_ what you think?” Starscream sniped nastily, finally looking up to glare at the coach.

“Affirmative,” Soundwave said icily. “Partnership: failing for months. Megatron; Starscream: suspended until further notice.”

“You _cannot_ do that!” Starscream shrieked, leaping up from his seat, pointing at Soundwave aggressively. “You _cannot_ kick me out of this skating club just for one failed partnership.”

“Negative. Megatron; Starscream: suspended. Removal: pending.”

“If I might inquire why I’m being punished for Starscream’s misdoings?” Megatron interrupted.

“Megatron: did not attempt to cooperate with Starscream. Megatron: actively antagonized.”

 _“Thank you!”_ Starscream yelled in agreement, throwing his hands up.

“Starscream: also at fault,” Soundwave reminded. “Starscream: lucky Megatron chooses to not press charges. Starscream: also lucky Soundwave has not reported you.”

Starscream shrieked.

“Can I not simply transfer to singles?” Megatron groused. “I believe my transgression to be significantly less terrible than Starscream’s - at least I didn’t attempt to commit a _felony.”_

“Oh, please,” the aforementioned would-be felon snapped, rolling his eyes. “Everything would be better without you in it.”

“Enough,” Soundwave interrupted before they could start fighting again. “Megatron; Starscream: allowed to return if proven able to work together.”

“You want me to work with the person who tried to kill me?” Megatron asked flatly.

“Get over yourself,” Starscream said, examining his nails. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been talking about this story on my twitter so much that i have a genuine need for this to live up to my hype
> 
> My [twitter](https://twitter.com/crimsonseekers)  
> My [tumblr](https://crimsonseekers.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

If he was being entirely honest, Megatron would admit that the first thing he wanted to do when he left that meeting was to strangle Starscream. The other skater had tried to kill him, why not just return the favor? But the sneaky brat had dashed off before he could get his hands on him, which thankfully gave him time to calm down before he would do something he would regret.

Well, not regret, per se, just spend the rest of his life in prison for.

Either way, it was three days later before he decided to get over himself and hunt down Starscream to get it over with. They had spring break to work it out if they wanted to be ready in time to qualify for the senior circuit, and Megatron  _ really _ didn’t want to lose his scholarship.

It was about five minutes after he reached that conclusion that he realized that he A) did not know where Starscream lived, B) did not know Starscream’s number, and C) didn’t even know Starscream’s major, preventing him from even just haunting that area of campus until he could pin down the gaudy Vosian.

Luckily, Starscream’s sister, Slipstream, wasn’t too hard to track down at the ice rink during hockey practice.

“You want Starscream’s address?” she asked skeptically, leaning against the barrier. “And just who wants my little brother’s address? He’s a little shit but I’m not going to let him get killed.”

Megatron quirked an eyebrow at the remark but moved past it. “Megatron,” he introduced himself shortly. “Starscream’s skating partner.”

“Oh my God,” Slipstream laughed, a bright yet smug smile crossing her face.  _ “You’re _ Megatron?”

“I presume Starscream’s mentioned me, then?”

“‘Has Starscream mentioned you,’ oh my Primus this is rich,” she cackled. Megatron was unsure of how to feel at the strong reaction.

“Slipstream, you’re up!” another girl called from out on the ice. Slipstream took off her glove to wipe a tear away from her eye as she called back in the positive.

She seemed a little  _ too _ happy to give away her little brother’s address.

Starscream, however, wasn’t terribly thrilled to see him at his door.

“I’m just trying to talk to you!” Megatron rumbled as he pushed against the door, preventing it from slamming shut in his face.

“Well, the desire is certainly not mutual, now  _ leave me alone!” _

He grunted, forcing the door open, taking a slight bit of pleasure watching Starscream stumble backward.

“This is breaking and entering!” he screeched, scrambling to his feet indignantly.

“If you can’t stop being petty and we get kicked out of skating then we  _ both _ lose our scholarships!”

“Sounds more palatable than skating with you again!”

_ “Starscream!” _

Megatron loomed over him, and Starscream shrunk back, though his glare and sneer never left his face, a disdainful curl to his lip.

“Starscream, what the hell is happening out here?”

Megatron turned his head to see another male, slightly taller than Starscream, though with the same warm dark skin, rubbing his face tiredly in blue pajamas, leaning out one of the doors off to the side.

“Nothing,” Starscream hissed. “Go back to sleep.”

“I was trying to, but it kept on sounding like a lot of loud ‘nothing,’” he bit back, before tilting his head to look at Megatron. “Huh. Is this that skater you keep complaining about?”

Megatron straightened, and Starscream stepped away from him, rolling his eyes.

“Megatron,” he offered stiffly. “And you are?”

“Thundercracker. Starscream’s brother.”

“Ah. My apologies for having to meet you under such circumstances.”

“Oh, so  _ now _ you decide to be nice,” Starscream complained, walking away and throwing his hands up in defeat.

“Unlike you, your brother didn’t insult me the second I met him.”

“And unlike  _ you, _ Thundercracker doesn’t enter  _ without my consent either!” _

“Okay,” Thundercracker interrupted, walking between the two of them before their fight could escalate any further. “What’s the problem here?”

“He’s breaking and entering!” Starscream shrieked. Thundercracker didn’t even flinch at the high octave and looked at Megatron for his explanation.

“Soundwave is going to kick the both of us out of the skating club unless we learn to work together, and if we want to be practiced in time for the season, we need to fix this as soon as possible.”

Thundercracker simply sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and turned to his brother.

“Starscream, you know you’re going to get expelled without that scholarship.”

“Oh, like Skywarp is doing any better?”

“Skywarp at least doesn’t make everybody he meets hate him!”

“Then how come neither of you have kicked me out yet?”

“Trust me, it’s a close thing,” Thundercracker bit out under his breath. He gave a furtive look to Megatron over his shoulder before he switched to Vosian, seeming to verbally beat down a fuming Starscream, who was simply glaring a hole through the floor as Thundercracker talked.

After a minute, Starscream snapped his head up, pointed his finger threateningly at his brother, hissed something, stormed off to another room, and slammed the door shut.

Thundercracker seemed to deflate and turned to Megatron with a slight, stilted smile on his face. “Sorry about that. He’ll be ready to go out in a bit.”

“That didn’t exactly seem like someone who’ll be ‘ready to go out in a bit.’” He shrugged.

“That’s just how Starscream is. Would you like something to drink, in the meantime?”

_ “Don’t you dare offer that barbarian anything, Thundercracker!” _ Starscream’s voice echoed out from his room.

Megatron quirked an eyebrow as Thundercracker slumped and turned to the kitchenette. “Sorry, but I have to retract my offer.”

“You don’t have to listen to him, you know.”

“Live with him for nineteen years and  _ then _ tell me that I ‘don’t have to listen to him.’”

* * *

“Starscream, it’s a public rink, not the end of the world,” Megatron sighed when Starscream complained for the umpteenth time as they laced their skates.

“You’ve clearly never tripped over a five-year-old and gone to the emergency room.”

“I’ve been kicked in the face by you and gone to the emergency room. Does that count?” he asked pointedly. “It’s spring break Starscream, all the children are probably at Disneyland.” Starscream simply huffed in response and stood up.

“Let’s get this over with,” he snapped, striding away and onto the rink, weaving his way through what few skaters were on the ice, gaining speed as he went around in a few warm-up laps. Megatron rolled his eyes at the dramatics before shoving his shoes under the bench and joining Starscream on the ice.

“So,” he drawled, skating alongside Starscream leisurely, “what shall we begin with? Side-by-sides or throws?”

“Throw me a triple loop,” he said after a moment, quickly diverting his direction to the mostly empty center of the rink. “I can practically feel the hockey games that have been played here - the sooner this is over with, the better.” Megatron sighed, but followed anyway, taking a few moments to ensure his strokes were in synchronization with Starscream’s.

“Ready?” he asked as they turned backward. He glanced over his shoulder to ensure the ice was clear as he gripped Starscream’s waist. 

“Three.”

\- Starscream placed his hands on Megatron’s wrists-

“Two.”

\- lifting his right leg as he bent his left -

“One!”

Starscream kicked up as Megatron lifted him, following his trajectory and swinging around as Starscream flew past his face and let go, time moving slowly as he counted the rotations.

He scowled as he heard the scrape of Starscream’s toepick as he landed, and watched the way the blade of his skate almost swerved out from underneath him.

“You over-rotated,” he stated bluntly as they slid to a stop.

“Hard to stop rotating if I finish the three and I’m still in the air for another  _ three feet,” _ Starscream hissed in response. “You throw me like you’re expecting me to pull a quad or something!”

Megatron growled, pulling his lips back into a snarl, ready to rebut before forcibly taking a deep breath. His scholarship  _ and _ skating career was on the line. If continuing meant having to put up with Starscream, then so be it. After a moment, he unclenched his fists and looked back.

“So do I throw you too high, or too far?” he asked, willing himself to remain calm. Starscream blinked, leaning back in a state of slight surprise if Megatron had to name it. As if he had been expecting Megatron to lash out at him. Starscream crossed his arms and looked to the side.

“Too high,” he bit out after a second. “I have to float down, and it’s hard to tell when I’ll hit the ice.”

“So should I let you rely more on your own initial jump?”

Starscream eyed Megatron suspiciously. “Yes,” he said shortly. “Come on, let’s run it again.”

Starscream landed smoothly that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [twitter](https://twitter.com/crimsonseekers)  
> My [tumblr](https://crimsonseekers.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess a semi-accurate summary of this chapter is 'starscream and thundercracker bully skywarp'

Each day for the rest of the week, Megatron showed up at Starscream’s apartment at eleven-thirty, and they would walk to the rink in time for the public skate at noon. Megatron could have perhaps given Starscream a little less hand-holding on getting to the rink on time, but, to put it bluntly, he didn’t trust Starscream to show up on time on his own, or even at all. He didn’t have Starscream’s phone number to bother him, and if Megatron was being completely honest, he didn’t want Starscream having  _ his. _

Starscream was still a complete and utter  _ bastard _ to work with, but Megatron had thankfully worked out how to work around Starscream’s… to put it bluntly, bitchy tendencies.

After a week of Starscream as essentially his only company, Megatron was both annoyed and relieved when Thundercracker opened the door on the last day of spring break.

“Starscream’s not here,” is what Thundercracker told him that was the annoying part.

“Then where is he? I didn’t waste twenty minutes walking here for him to decide to not practice.”

“Went down to the skate shop on Twenty-Fifth Street. Mentioned that he had to sharpen his skates, and to tell you that he would meet you at the rink if you came by.”

Megatron barely managed to release an annoyed sigh before  _ another _ vaguely-Starscream look alike popped his head over Thundercracker’s shoulder, and this one had frighteningly bright purple hair.

“Who’s this, TC?” he asked, shoving him out of the way and staring intently at Megatron, before glancing back at the disgruntled Thundercracker. “A date or something? If so, I should probably tell you now that he’s  _ waaay _ too hot for you. Out of your league. This grass is too green for you, Thundercracker. No way either of us could land someone like this, he looks like he could bench press a bus!” His attention returned to Megatron. “Can you bench press a bus?”

“Uh,” he started after a moment. “No.” The purple-haired interrupter made a long, disappointed noise, and whined as Thundercracker shoved him back behind the door.

“Sorry about him, Skywarp is very excitable.”

Megatron noted that his body jerked oddly, and combined a thump and the wheezing behind the door, and had probably just kicked Skywarp.

“Ask him if he could carry me with one hand, I bet he could!” Skywarp’s voice sounded from behind Thundercracker before there was another thump and more pitiful wheezing.

“I’ll be on my way then,” he said slowly, turning to leave.

“Bye, Megatron,” Thundercracker said before quickly shutting the door.

As he walked towards the elevator, he heard Skywarp shout,  _ “That’s Megatron?!” _

* * *

“You could have  _ told _ me yourself that you were going to be here,” Megatron said instead of a greeting when he spotted Starscream upon his entrance to the skate shop.

Starscream flicked his eyes up from his phone as he leaned against the counter. “How was I intended to tell you? It’s not like I can text you.”

“You could have told me yesterday.”

“Well, I didn’t realize I had to sharpen my skates yesterday.”

“Primus, you’re annoying,” Megatron muttered but strode over to wait beside Starscream. After a few minutes of silence, he decided to at least  _ attempt _ a conversation with Starscream. “Is Skywarp also your brother?” Starscream rolled his eyes and sighed.

“It hurts to admit being related to him, but yes, he is.”

“He spent quite a while waxing poetic about how attractive I am.”

Starscream scoffed. “At least you don’t have him  _ texting _ you about it,” he sniffed disdainfully, angrily tapping on his phone. Don’t worry, you’re still uglier than the dirt on the bottom of my shoe. Skywarp’s the youngest, and clearly there weren’t any brains left over by the time he was born.”

“Is Thundercracker your older brother, then? You all look the same age.”

Starscream rolled his eyes again as if Megatron were an idiot for not figuring out the answer to the question on his own. “Triplets.  _ I’m _ the oldest.”

“You’re the shortest.”

Starscream ‘tch’d and turned away to pay as the clerk came back with his skates. “Yes, well, what Thundercracker and Skywarp have in height, they lack in intelligence and looks.”

“Thundercracker is reasonable enough.”

“Well, he likes  _ you, _ and that’s enough to make me question his judgment.” Starscream took his change from the clerk, tucked his skates into his bag, and walked out of the store. As Megatron followed him out, he glanced down at Starscream’s feet as he heard a distinct clicking noise.

“You wear heels?” he asked, eyeing the stick-thin heel that Starscream was bound to twist his ankle on someday. Megatron might actually throttle Starscream if he lost his scholarship because the brat had  _ slipped. _

Starscream sighed. “Yes. I’m going out after practice today, and Thundercracker refuses to bring them for me. Skywarp would just break them.”

“You’re going to break your ankle. Between those and skating you’re not going to be able to walk by the time you’re twenty-five.”

Megatron could almost hear his eye roll before he waved his hand dismissively. “These are my shorter pair, relax. I’m not going to break anything, get over yourself.”

“Starscream, they’re four inches tall. What purpose do they serve other than putting our shot at the senior circuit at risk?”

Starscream glanced back at Megatron and trilled a short little laugh before he spun around, kicked his foot up and hooked his heeled leg around Megatron’s neck. He steadied himself by holding onto Megatron’s shoulders and wrapping his other leg around his waist, as even with heels he was too short for such a maneuver.

He could hear Starscream’s breath as he chuckled into his ear. “What purpose does wearing heels serve? I think I look rather good in them, don’t you?”

Megatron stood stock still even after Starscream had detangled his limbs from his body and dropped to the ground with surprising grace.

“Come on, you bumbling buffoon,” Starscream called over his shoulder as the click of his heels took him away. “If we hurry we can make it before the hellspawn get out of Sunday school.”

Megatron shook his head and followed after Starscream, an annoyed frown on his face. That damned Vosian was going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> megatron: i hope this doesn't awaken anything in me
> 
> My [twitter](https://twitter.com/crimsonseekers)  
> My [tumblr](https://crimsonseekers.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> megatron: dumb gay extrodinaire

Finals had come and gone, and Nationals were in two days. Megatron still might not have had Starscream’s number, but he had at some point picked up Thundercracker’s. It was perhaps the only reason he was not as surprised as he should have been when he exited the airport searching for Starscream (who was  _ late again) _ to find Slipstream ruffling his hair in a headlock. Starscream, he was unsurprised to see, was snarling and clawing at her to getaway. She promptly let him go once she caught sight of Megatron, slapping Starscream’s back and saying something that got him hissing at her. Megatron couldn’t quite hear what it was over the loud bustle of the airport. He simply raised an eyebrow as he approached.

“Ready? Soundwave’s getting impatient.”

Starscream huffed and whacked Slipstream’s hand off his head (again) before grabbing his suitcase and stomping over agitatedly. “Let’s go before she starts fussing again,” he muttered.

“Slipstream’s just worrying about you,” Megatron said, a somewhat bland appeasement.

“Really?” Starscream asked dryly. “Felt more like she was mocking me.”

“I’m an only child, Starscream, I wouldn’t know.”

Starscream looked back at him for a second. “Not even a single coddling text from your parents? Mine are insufferable.”

“They’re not exactly pleased with my career path at the moment,” Megatron said as they walked through the sliding doors of the airport, welcoming the cold air conditioning across his skin, as even the few moments he had spent outside were insufferable. “Or me, for that matter.”

“Ah,” Starscream replied lamely. “Not my problem, Skywarp’s lowered our parents’ expectations so much that the rest of us seem perfect in comparison.”

“What does Skywarp even do?”

“God, who knows? Cocaine, probably.”

Megatron let out a startled snort before he could clarify that wasn’t exactly what he’d meant.

* * *

Soundwave was reading a book, Starscream was listening to music, and Megatron was determinedly  _ not _ looking out the window as they cruised through the skies.

The plane started shaking, the seatbelt light went on, and Megatron certainly did  _ not _ squeak as the plane jerked particularly hard. It was hard to deny that he hadn’t made  _ any _ noise when Starscream looked over at him questioningly, it was simply more a discomforted grunt than anything. His stomach rolled painfully.

“Do  _ not _ tell me you’re afraid of flying,” the smaller skater laughed as he removed an earbud. Megatron grunted, closing his eyes. “Oh my god, you  _ are.” _

“Unless you want me to throw up on your lap, Starscream, I suggest you shut up.”

Starscream made a disgusted sound, but leaned over Megatron and closed the window. “Then listen to something or go to sleep,” he snarled. “The more you focus on it, the less time I have to switch seats with Soundwave.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Aren’t I just? Now, go take a nap, you idiot. This shirt was expensive.”

Megatron could just make out Soundwave’s exasperated sigh as they bickered.

On the bright side, his stomach wasn’t trying to forcibly eject itself any longer.

* * *

Kaon City was certainly different from the outskirt city Decepticon University was in - and far removed from any experience Megatron had ever had in the Tarnish mining town of his youth. Starscream seemed to find it peculiar, as well.

“Disgustingly hot,” he moaned, fanning himself as they left the hotel. Soundwave had decided to give them the day before the competition off, and strictly told them to stick together if they were to go exploring the city (Megatron, an imposing figure on his own merits, was fairly certain it was more for Starscream’s benefit than his own). “Should’ve gone to Vos State, this is  _ intolerable.” _

“And miss out on my charming presence, Starscream? Think of the missed opportunities.”

Starscream gave him a long, bland, unimpressed look. Megatron took a moment to appreciate the fact that even though they were both already sweating through their shirts, Starscream’s dramatic eyeliner seemed to be the one universal constant that never died.

_ “Definitely _ should’ve gone to Vos State,” he muttered. “What are we doing today, then? As long as there’s air conditioning, I don’t particularly care.”

The air in the bustling streets was stiflingly thick and hot, despite the shade that the towering buildings around them offered. Megatron hummed as he thought.

“If I remember the visitors' website correctly, if we catch a train there’s an amusement park on the outskirts of the city.”

“That doesn’t sound air-conditioned,” Starscream whined.

“There are indoor rides and the outdoor ones will be going fast enough for the wind to cool us down.”

“You can’t stand flying but you want to go to an amusement park?”

“There’s a difference between a roller coaster and a flying metal death trap.”

“There’s also a difference between a mode of transportation that is far safer than cars and an attraction that people get decapitated on and regularly fall out of,” Starscream grumbled, but walked alongside Megatron as they headed towards the nearest train station.

* * *

The amusement park they went to was “disgustingly hot” as well, though it was somewhat mitigated by the powerful drafts that hit them every time a ride went past. Starscream scowled as they walked across the grounds, fanning himself with a map of the park he had picked up on the way in.

“Is this really worth forty credits each?”

“I didn’t see you offering any alternatives,” Megatron said simply. 

“We could’ve just found a public rink and done something productive instead of wasting our time here.”

“Oh,  _ now _ you want to be my skating partner?”

“No,” Starscream responded bitingly. “I want to  _ win.” _ Shaking his head, he seemed to recenter himself. “Now, pick me up. I want to see if there are any shorter lines that we can get in.”

“What.”

Starscream gave him an exasperated look. “You can hear, yes? Pick me up.”

Megatron sighed, before grabbing Starscream’s hips and lifting him up above his head. It really wasn’t worth the fight. After a moment, Starscream tapped his hand and he lowered him to the ground. “There’s a short line up ahead for Death Sky. It looks interesting”

_ “Death Sky?” _ Megatron repeated the name incredulously.

“Have you met the Kaonites? Brutal. Now, come on, if we hurry, we can stop at the ice cream stand next to it before the line starts filling out.”

* * *

“Look at all that difference between a roller coaster and flying death trap,” Starscream said, patting Megatron’s back absentmindedly in a sort of mock comfort.

“Starscream,” Megatron muttered as he leaned tiredly over a trash can, “I am going to  _ murder _ you.”

It turned out that the “Death Sky” ride was an elaborate ride that had the cart  _ suspended _ from the railing rather than resting on it, and included quite a few long, vertical drops. And there weren’t any seats either - they had been strapped to it and hung from there. It was, to put it simply, like flying. Starscream had enjoyed the ride thoroughly, if his demonic cackling was anything to go by.

Megatron had exited the ride and promptly threw up in a nearby trash can.

“Oh, no you won’t,” Starscream chirped, and from the way he was holding his phone, Megatron just  _ knew _ that he was being filmed. “You can’t lose your scholarship, now can you?”

Megatron growled and turned to glare at him, brief sick session forgotten.

Starscream shrieked and sprinted away as Megatron pounced after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> starscream shows he cares by being an asshole okay
> 
> My [twitter](https://twitter.com/crimsonseekers)  
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